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CultureTotal RecallWhy People Give a Shit About a 1988 PC Role-Playing Game
Brian Fargo, whose credits include Bard’s Tale and the original Fallout, wants to make a new Wasteland game. This is a very good idea. It’s also a very good idea that Fargo wants to be involved, because there wouldn’t have been a Fallout without Wasteland Released in 1988 on the PC, Wasteland was a pioneering…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 17, 2012 -
CultureTotal RecallRetro Rumble Episode 1 – Don’t Pee in the Pool
You know how outfits like Major League Gaming are full of sponsored kids playing the latest game at breakneck speeds? This is the exact opposite. Welcome to Episode 1 of Retro Rumble, where a bunch of guys play (usually) terrible old video games to see who is the best. Or, least terrible. Today the crew…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 16, 2012 -
Insomniac Programmer Michael Kuehl Passes Away
Michael Kuehl, a programmer with Resistance developers Insomniac – and who had also worked at Infinity Ward and Electronic Arts – has tragically passed away at the age of 32. Kuehl was struck by a car while riding his motorcycle, and died from his injuries. Our thoughts go out to his family and colleagues.
By Luke Plunkett Published February 16, 2012 -
Looks Like the Persona Fighting Game is Coming to the West
Earlier today, Atlus teased an announcement for it loyal fans in North America by sending an image of a giant black rectangle. A little PhotoShop work reveals that image to be a teaser for what looks like Persona 4 The Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena Or, as most people call it, The Persona 2D Fighting Game…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 16, 2012 -
Guild Wars 2 is Almost Certainly Coming to Consoles
Whenever anyone says “man, I hate how all MMOs are the same”, someone else invariably says “well, wait for Guild Wars 2, then!”. Normally, it’s just been PC players waiting for the game, but console owners should get in line now as well. Developers NCSoft have said in a recent conference call “When it comes…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 16, 2012 -
Counter-Strike Gets Some Serious Competition This Spring
This Spring sees the release of Tactical Intervention on the PC, a game noteworthy because its development has been led by one of the co-creators of Counter-Strike. So the fact the two games look similar is no coincidence. Former Valve staffer Minh Le, who has been working on the game in Korea for a few…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 16, 2012 -
Reviews
Playing Around With Batman: Arkham Asylum’s Wonderful Toys
There were normal action figures based on Batman: Arkham Asylum. They came out a while ago, and they were fine. These premium figures, though, are brand new. So we’re taking a look at them. And by taking a look, I mean I’m going to sit in my kitchen and play with them. If you’re wondeing…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 16, 2012 -
Enjoying the Launch Trailer for a Game I Can’t Even Play
Syndicate is the latest casualty of Australia’s antique classification laws, and also hopefully one of the last. Because of this, I will not legally be allowed to purchase the game, despite the fact I am 31 years old This trailer, then, is about as close as I’m going to get. Which is a shame. Because…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 16, 2012 -
This Mass Effect Movie Actually Stars the Real Commander Shepard
This is a trailer for Red Sand, an ambitious fan film billing itself as a prequel to the events of the Mass Effect trilogy of video games. What makes me bring this to your attention is the fact it stars a guy called Mark Meer. Who is the voice actor behind the male Commander Shepard…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 16, 2012 -
CultureTotal RecallThe TurboGrafx-16 was more exciting…
…than a Nintendo Entertainment System. Which wasn’t really a fair comparison to make, but hey, this was the late 80s. Video game advertising was a killing field back then. Total Recall is a look back at the history of video games through their characters, franchises, developers and trends. You’ll find Total Recall stories every Mon-Fri…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 16, 2012 -
CultureTotal RecallNo, System of a Down Did Not Make a Zelda Song. But This Guy Did.
Let’s give a man his dues! For over a decade now, there’s been a kinda-famous song about Zelda on the internet that many people believe was written and performed by System of a Down. It wasn’t. The song, simply called “Zelda”, was actually written (and sung) by a man named Joe Pleiman. It was released…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 15, 2012 -
CultureTotal Recall
A Salute to Dani Berry, a Transgender Video Gaming Pioneer
There are plenty of legends in the world of video games whose names will fly off the tongues of casual fans. Nolan Bushnell. Trip Hawkins. Shigeru Miyamoto. Will Wright. Sid Meier. It’s a shame, then, that so few can name another of the all-time greats, Danielle Bunten Berry. The designer, born in 1949, is important…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 15, 2012 -
The Next Xbox is Code-Named…Durango
Kotaku has heard from multiple sources close to the project that the code-name for Microsoft’s next console is Durango. Yup. Durango Note this is a code-name. Like the Katana (Dreamcast), Dolphin (GameCube) and Revolution (Wii) before it, it’s not the name that will appear on the finished product when you finally get your hands on…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 15, 2012 -
Ni No Kuni Comes West This Winter, Includes Japanese Vocals
Namco Bandai will be releasing Level-5/Studio Ghibli collaboration Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch in North America sometime during “Winter 2012”. For Europe, it’s early 2013. That’s the bad news. The good news? The delay is down to an extensive localisation push: it’ll include an English dub (along with major European languages for…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 15, 2012 -
Double Fine’s Adventure Game Will be DRM-Free, Available on PC, Mac & Mobile
Because you all gave Tim Schafer and his Double Fine studio so much damn money, their upcoming old-school adventure is going to be a little bigger than first planned. It’s going to be available on Windows, Mac and Linux. It’s also shooting for iPhone and (certain compatible) Android devices. It’s going to have voice. It’s…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 15, 2012 -
Culture
The Sweet Art of the New Twisted Metal Game
So, the new Twisted Metal game was quietly released yesterday. In honour of the affair, and the fact the game has also been picked up for a movie adaptation, here’s some concept art from the latest entry in the long-running serires. This art is all the work of Eat Sleep Play’s Donald Yatomi. If you’re…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 15, 2012 -
The Terror, and the Wonder, of a Street Fighter x Mario x Mortal Kombat Mashup
GI Joe. M. Bison. Cammy. The Mushroom Kingdom. Mortal Kombat. I’m 31, and what is this. (It’s a trailer for Sacrifice of the Mushroom Kings by Jonathan Monaghan, which runs eight minutes in total and is viewable now at curator’s office in Washington DC).
By Luke Plunkett Published February 15, 2012 -
You Can’t Tell Shepard to Shut Up (But You Can Tell Him to Punch a Reporter)
Microsoft has released a handy primer for Mass Effect 3 which shows how Kinect users will be able to vocally interact with the game. Things look pretty simply, but I guess the simpler they are, the easier and more reliable they’ll be to use. Just remember this only applies to actual commands, not actual intentions.…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 15, 2012
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